How to Make Hard-Boiled Eggs

Whether eaten alone as a satisfying snack, served on the top of a hearty salad, or transformed into a delicious appetizer (here’s to you, deviled eggs!) knowing how to make the perfect hard-boiled egg is a must.MORE+LESS-

What's In This Article

Introduction

Hard-boiled eggs can be enjoyed for breakfast, as a snack, on the top of a salad at lunch or dinnertime, and as a delicious appetizer. Hard-boiled eggs’ versatility is what makes them so easy to eat at any time of day. Here’s everything you need to know about hard-boiled eggs before you make them!

Types of Eggs

When you go to the grocery store, you might be surprised by how many types of eggs you see. From brown to white, cage-free to omega-3 here’s what you need to know when purchasing eggs to hard-boil.

Brown: Brown eggs come from chickens, just like white eggs do. The difference is just in the coloring of the hen, with brown hens laying brown eggs and white hens laying white eggs (though there are rare exceptions).

Cage-Free: Cage-free eggs refer to where the hens are kept. Cage-free usually refers to hens who have been living in an open barn setting (and not kept directly within a cage).

Omega-3: Omega-3 eggs refer to eggs that were laid by a hen who had been fed omega-3-enriched feed. Omega-3s are fatty acids that are good or important for some of your body’s functions.

You can use any of these egg varieties when hard-boiling your eggs, or the traditional white.

Interesting Facts

There’s an easy way to test if your eggs are still good enough to be hard-boiled, and all you need is a bowl of water. To test the eggs, place them in a bowl of water. If your eggs float, they are no longer fresh and should be discarded. If the eggs sink to the bottom, you can assume they’re fresh (always look at packaging dates on cartons to be safe).

Besides just food, you can use eggs (primarily eggshells) for alternate uses, too! Eggshells are commonly used in gardens because as they decompose, they provide the soil with nutrients.

You’ve most likely seen a hardboiled egg yolk with slight grey or green discoloration. The egg is still edible! That grey-green color is from the sulfide in the yolk combining with the egg white. Simply put, it was overcooked and hard-boiled for too long.

Nutritional Value

Eggs are the perfect combination of nutrition and versatility. Packed inside each tasty egg is a good supply of protein, vitamins and minerals. Although eggs contain some fat and cholesterol, they are low in sodium, and one large egg has only 80 calories.

How to Make Hardboiled Eggs

Scrambled, over-easy, poached or fried—there are countless ways to enjoy eggs. But none are quite so versatile as the hard-boiled version. Hard-boiled eggs are a fantastic snack on their own, not to mention they dazzle as a crowd-pleasing appetizer. Here, Betty shows you how to hard-boil eggs in three simple steps.

What you’ll need:

Eggs

2-quart saucepan

How to:

1. Place eggs in single layer in 2-quart saucepan. Cover with cold water at least 1 inch above eggs. Cover saucepan and heat to boiling. Immediately remove from heat; let stand covered 15 minutes, then drain. Immediately place eggs in cold water with ice cubes or run cold water over eggs until completely cooled.

2. To peel, gently tap each egg on counter-top until entire shell is finely crackled. Roll gently between hands to loosen shell.

3. Starting at large end, peel egg under cold running water to help remove shell.

A Twist on Hard-Boiled Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs can be enjoyed on their own, but an easy well-known twist is the delicious deviled egg! Deviled eggs are a party-favorite and a go-to appetizer recipe for any host. If you’re looking for an easy appetizer that doubles as a crowd-favorite, these classic deviled eggs are a must-try. Here’s how to make Classic Deviled Eggs:

What you’ll need:

6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled

3 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing

½ teaspoon ground mustard

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Knife

Fork

Directions:

Cut eggs lengthwise in half. Slip out yolks and mash with fork.

Stir in mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Fill whites with egg yolk mixture, heaping it lightly. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Expert Tips:

Garnish deviled eggs with red caviar and Italian parsley, or top with thin slices of red pearl onions.

Cut a very thin slice off the bottom of each egg white before filling to help the eggs stay in place on the serving plate.